02.11 Foreign Governments Should Stop Providing Iraq With Military Support: HRW

MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) - Foreign governments should stop providing military support to Iraq due to its ignorance of the pro-government militias' violence against civilians from Sunni communities, a statement published on the website of Human Rights Watch (HRW) Sunday said.

"Foreign governments should stop providing Iraq with military support and assistance until the government ensures that such widespread war crimes and crimes against humanity have ended, including ensuring those responsible for such crimes are held accountable," Human Rights Watch urged.

The watchdog issued the statement following interviews with people who witnessed the attack on the Musab Bin Omair mosque in Iraq's Diyala Province this August 22.

According to the accounts of the witnesses, armed men wearing civilian clothes and police uniforms attacked the mosque, killing 32 men, one woman and a 17-year-old boy. All of the victims were attending a Friday prayer. What is more, the witnesses told Human Rights Watch they recognized the attackers and knew their names.

"Pro-government militias are becoming emboldened and their crimes more shocking. Iraqi authorities and Iraq's allies alike have ignored this horrific attack and then they wonder why the militant group Islamic State has had such appeal among Sunni communities," HRW Deputy Director for the Middle East Joe Stork said in the statement.

Even though the Iraqi government said in October it had rolled out an "investigation commission" to look into the attack on the Musab Bin Omair mosque, Human Rights Watch expressed concerns and called on the country's authorities to make public the investigations into the August attack.